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“Loopholes in the state’s campaign finance laws are giving Florida’s citizens the worst of all possible worlds,” the National Institute on Money in State Politics wrote in a 2011 report. “Rather than limiting the influence of large campaign donors, Florida’s laws simply drive them, in effect, underground.”
Integrity Florida, a good-government group formed last year, has proposed ending the charade by removing restrictions on donations and requiring that they be disclosed online within 24 hours.
The fate of the group’s proposal is worth paying attention to, because it ultimately could shape reform efforts on the federal level as well.
“Our view is that corruption does not like sunlight and disclosure is the key to accountability,” said Dan Krassner, the group’s director.

When three puppygirls named after pastries are on top of each other, it is called Eclair a'la menthe et Biscotti aux fraises avec beaucoup de Ricotta sur le dessus.
Most of all, you have to be disciplined and you have to save, even if you hate our current financial system. Because if you don't save, then you're guaranteed to end up with nothing.

A. Do they even have anything with that sort of range?
B. Are they serious, or is it propaganda?
C. Is the western news on this correct, or is it propaganda?
D. If, A, B, and C, are correct; Are they crazy?
E. If D is "yes", what the hell, Pyongyang?
F. Also, what the hell, Kim?

Whenever Nortk Korea comes up with this crap, there's not a single moment I ask myself how long do we have to endure before someone make sure the DPRK (especially that big fat walrus) gets its arse kicked for real.

Ask the Southerners. Who are always looting, killing, spying and stealing from them.

Long live the North!

Sorry, got carried away after seeing the resemblance to the post-Glorious Age scenario as depicted in The Time Machine by HG Wells.

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When three puppygirls named after pastries are on top of each other, it is called Eclair a'la menthe et Biscotti aux fraises avec beaucoup de Ricotta sur le dessus.
Most of all, you have to be disciplined and you have to save, even if you hate our current financial system. Because if you don't save, then you're guaranteed to end up with nothing.

A. Do they even have anything with that sort of range?
B. Are they serious, or is it propaganda?
C. Is the western news on this correct, or is it propaganda?
D. If, A, B, and C, are correct; Are they crazy?
E. If D is "yes", what the hell, Pyongyang?
F. Also, what the hell, Kim?

The "satellite launch" demonstrated they can build a rocket that can reach the necessary altitude to also be deployed as an ICBM. So far they don't seem to have the navigational capabilities to control where the missile might come down.

Most observers of their nuclear program claim the DPRK also hasn't mastered the requirement of making a weapon small enough to deploy on the end of a missile.

The "satellite launch" demonstrated they can build a rocket that can reach the necessary altitude to also be deployed as an ICBM. So far they don't seem to have the navigational capabilities to control where the missile might come down.

Most observers of their nuclear program claim the DPRK also hasn't mastered the requirement of making a weapon small enough to deploy on the end of a missile.

What if China were to "accidentally lend" them their technologies?

__________________

When three puppygirls named after pastries are on top of each other, it is called Eclair a'la menthe et Biscotti aux fraises avec beaucoup de Ricotta sur le dessus.
Most of all, you have to be disciplined and you have to save, even if you hate our current financial system. Because if you don't save, then you're guaranteed to end up with nothing.

Everything I've read points in the opposite direction from this viewpoint. China has become progressively less and less supportive of the DPRK; they even voted in favor of expanded sanctions in the Security Council this week. China has its own reasons for wanting to maintain a "buffer" state in the peninsula, but their leadership knows as well as I do that encouraging the North Koreans' adventurism would endanger China as much as anyone.

The DPRK's missile technologies came from the Soviets, not China, and their further development involved states like Iran and Pakistan. If you want to become informed on these matters, I recommend this detailed, though lengthy, history of their program from the International Institute for Strategic Studies. As that article observes, exporting missile technologies has been one of the few means by which the DRPK earns foreign currencies:

Quote:

North Korea has become the world’s most prolific exporter of ballistic missiles and related equipment, materials and technology – especially as other potential suppliers, such as China, have gradually withdrawn from the market. Over the past two decades, North Korea has sold at least several hundred Hwasong-5/-6 or No-dong missiles, as well as materials, equipment, components and production technology, mainly to countries in the Middle East, such as Egypt, Iran, Libya, Pakistan, Syria, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Yemen. During that time, North Korea’s missile export business has probably earned several hundred million dollars – a significant portion of North Korea’s hard currency earnings.

Most of those countries were also the recipients of Soviet military assistance during the Cold War.

Everything I've read points in the opposite direction from this viewpoint. China has become progressively less and less supportive of the DPRK; they even voted in favor of expanded sanctions in the Security Council this week. China has its own reasons for wanting to maintain a "buffer" state in the peninsula, but their leadership knows as well as I do that encouraging the North Koreans' adventurism would endanger China as much as anyone.

The DPRK's missile technologies came from the Soviets, not China, and their further development involved states like Iran and Pakistan. If you want to become informed on these matters, I recommend this detailed, though lengthy, history of their program from the International Institute for Strategic Studies. As that article observes, exporting missile technologies has been one of the few means by which the DRPK earns foreign currencies:

Most of those countries were also the recipients of Soviet military assistance during the Cold War.

That is lengthy? I thought research journals are usually longer than that!

Thanks for the good read. Apparently it opened an eye to how the NK are able to drop missiles to hit the US in the next decade, but they would use it as a bargaining chip.

If armchair analysts were to be believed, South Korea probably has the necessary deep cover assets to provide information to US if needed, and to sabotage their missile systems if necessary. It is just that they don't have the army to hold the main assault force back should the Americans pull out their forces to defend their homeland - after all, it has been suspected that NK already penetrated South Korea with undercover commandos, and probably officials too.

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When three puppygirls named after pastries are on top of each other, it is called Eclair a'la menthe et Biscotti aux fraises avec beaucoup de Ricotta sur le dessus.
Most of all, you have to be disciplined and you have to save, even if you hate our current financial system. Because if you don't save, then you're guaranteed to end up with nothing.

"China is to purchase Tupolev Tu-22M3 bombers through a contract with the
Russian Federation for 36 aircraft.

The agreement calls for 12 bombers to be delivered first and the other 24 coming
in a second tranche.

The Tupolev Tu-22M3 is a supersonic, swing-wing, long-range strategic and
maritime strike bomber developed by the Soviet Union. A number the bombers
remain in service with the Russian military -- as of 2010, the Russian air force
fielded 93 Tupolev Tu-22s and the Russian navy 58 -- and represent a significant
upgrading of the operational abilities of the Chinese air forces."

But wouldn't it be hilarious if the UK left the EU, Ireland decided to stay in the EU *and* Scotland left the UK for the EU? Then the UK could change its name to FK (fragmented kingdom)

I'm not sure what the UK would call itself if Scotland left. My guess is "England". While it would still include Wales, before the act of union with Scotland, England and Wales together still just called itself "England".

@Britain leaving the EU: I have a feeling that if Britain left the EU, Ireland would probably follow it.

Ireland's economy is fairly tightly associated with the British economy, far more then with the EU. If it was a choice between being integrated with the UK, and being integrated with the EU, the former would probably be a better choice.

That said, Irish people have certain nationalistic sentiments, and if it came up in a referendum, the UK's non-membership would not be a persuasive argument.

However, I doubt the UK public will vote to leave the EU. The tory base would like it, but only 40% of the population voted tory last election, and the tory base is considerably smaller again.

Even if the UK were outside the EU, trade is likely to continue as normal. It's more about regulation concerning the labor and financial markets. The UK would stand to lose a lot of weight in the UN, WTO etc. when they can no longer represent and influence the common market.

My guess is that the Irish republic would stand a good chance to build their own 'special relationship' with the US as the only remaining native English speakers in the EU, and probably benefit from more foreign investment.

Even if the UK were outside the EU, trade is likely to continue as normal. It's more about regulation concerning the labor and financial markets. The UK would stand to lose a lot of weight in the UN, WTO etc. when they can no longer represent and influence the common market.

The choice between the UK and EU is a tricky one. Ireland already chooses to be part of the Common Travel Area with Britain rather then join the Schengen agreement, and Ireland only joined the EU at the same the UK did. My feeling would be that if Ireland had the choice to either share the same set of standards with the UK, or with Europe, the obvious choice would be the UK. However it's all quite tricky...

Quote:

My guess is that the Irish republic would stand a good chance to build their own 'special relationship' with the US as the only remaining native English speakers in the EU, and probably benefit from more foreign investment.

To be fair we already do that (your tourists create our jobs!), with many US companies headquartered in Ireland, and fairly few in the UK. I doubt that would increase or decrease if Ireland stayed in the EU and the UK didn't.

Of course, that "special relationship" doesn't seem to have done much good over the last 4 years. Most of the jobs are too high level to go to our legions of unemployed...

I'm not so sure. The temptation to retaliate somehow would be pretty strong.

To an extent. I'm sure measures will be taken to prevent tax competition and from financial institutions abusing the low regulation environment. But other than that I can't see much in terms of revenge.

The ones who will stand to lose out are is the UK working/middle class, they will be stripped of labor market protection measures, unemployment benefits, minimum wages and job security as the conservatives want a US style economy.